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rb2d2 · Sep 25, 2004

Firefox Aims to Make IE, Safari Browsing More Secure

Mozilla has expanded a service that checks if a browser's plugins are current to now scan Internet Explorer, Safari Opera and Chrome in addition to its own Firefox.

Plugins are small bits of code that enable other applications to run within a Web browser, such as Adobe's Flash multimedia program. But outdated plugins are a danger for Internet users, as they can contain software vulnerabilities that can be used to gain remote control over someone's PC.

The problem has been recognized for some time, and some vendors have incorporated automated software update alerts to let users know when either they need to download a new plugin.

But others have no such mechanism. Each Web browser requires its own plugin, and if a user doesn't know a new version is available, they're unlikely to update it, which puts them at risk. Mozilla said studies have shown that up to 80 percent of users have an outdated plugin.

Shocked